A Day at the Farm: Our Neurodiversity-Affirming Summer Camp
We are so excited for our upcoming Larchwood Farm Nature Camp sessions. This is our 5th summer welcoming children, ages 4-12 years, to join us in week long sessions. Our camp is nature-based with a focus on creating a neurodiversity-affirming environment where we celebrate campers' strengths and build on their interests. Camp is led by a spectacular team of Regulated Health Professionals, including Occupational Therapists and Social Workers.
Camp Goals
The goals of Larchwood Farm Summer camp include:
Improving gross motor skills including coordination, strength, and balance
Developing executive functioning skills including problem-solving, planning, and organization
Developing socioemotional skills through cooperative play, sharing stories, modeling and practicing emotional regulation
Building curiosity and nature connection
Typical Day at Camp
Opening Circle
The opening circle is our opportunity to set the stage for a great day! We provide a prompt during our opening circle that can get the children sharing. We sometimes bring a talking stick that campers get to hold while speaking. This is a great tool to support group listening, turn-taking, and self-regulation.
Yoga during our morning circle!
Nature Walks
Our mornings are spent exploring nature at Larchwood Farm! Campers will explore different trails and paths on the 101 acre property. Some days campers may be collecting items for a nature craft. We also use this as an opportunity to build on the interests of the campers! Nature walks are a great opportunity to practice gross motor skills like balancing on logs, crouching under branches and pushing through tall grasses.
Arts and Crafts
Campers carved their names into wood with the help of our amazing staff!
We have a collection of creative activities that we have accumulated throughout the years. Through art projects, our campers connect with nature while practicing fine motor skills, executive function, and more.
Campers also build communication skills as they work together on masterpieces. Building boats allows for the children to observe each other’s creations, noting which ones floated and which did not.
Lunch and Structured Free Play
We simultaneously hold lunch time and structured free play as some campers may not be ready to eat while others are. We have snack times throughout the day to make sure all our kids have the opportunity to eat when and if they wish to.
During structured free play, we set out different items that campers can engage with. Children can build their own structures using the loose parts, follow recipes in our mud kitchen or engage in a group game. The highlight in the last few summers has been the theatre and costume bin. Many great plays have been performed under the trees during free play.
Reading books to spark discussion about emotional regulation!
Emotion Regulation Activities
At Larchwood OT, we use the Powerfully You framework to teach campers about their emotions! We do activities that help campers tune into what they are feeling in their bodies. We also use the symbol of a body battery to discuss tools for emotion-regulation.
Wilderness Activities
Building structures in the forest!
One of our goals at Larchwood OT is to foster a connection with nature. During our wilderness activities, we take the group into the forest and engage in activities that not only involve nature items but immerse us in the setting. For example, campers will challenge their executive functioning skills by searching for different kinds of trees, making maps of the landscape, and identifying animal tracks.
Active/Cooperative Play
These games have campers in teams requiring communication, problem-solving, emotion-regulation and listening. Games involve an active aspect, so campers are also building motor skills. Some of our favourites include creating obstacle courses, bucket relays at the pond on hot days and West Wind Blows!
After, we bring the day to a close as we settle down to journal and reflect on the amazing memories we made!
Throughout the week, campers engage in water play, food preparation, trips to the stream and a special visit to Firefly Ridge!
At the beginning of camp, our team conducts assessments to develop specific goals for each camper. As we engage in activities throughout the week, our highly trained staff are constantly building on activities to meet campers specific goals. At Larchwood farm we are committed to ensuring a fun, challenging, and inclusive camp for your child!
Want to hear more? Or do you have specific questions? Register for our virtual camp information night on April 30th at 7:30pm!
Registration for camp is open - spots are limited!
